While I was on book tour I met so many mamas who always asked me: what recipes do your kids ACTUALLY eat?! Frankly, it’s a little bit of a trick question because what my kiddos love one day they might decide they hate the next (#momlife). But over the years I’ve found ways to sneak veggies and protein into their favorite comfort foods so that they actually eat it and I can feel good about what they’re putting in their bodies.
A prime example? This flavorful, easy, veggie-packed meat sauce packed with a rainbow of vegetables that you won’t even notice. The trick is blending up the veggies into a “mush-like” texture before cooking them down with your favorite ground meat. Trust me; the veggies add lots of nutrients and texture that really make the sauce. You can watch me make it from start to finish in the next episode of Good Mood Comfort Food!
The recipes on my site and in my cookbook are all about what you can add to your plate to make it more nourishing and nutrient-dense, not what you need to take away from your diet. You know I never sacrifice flavor, so get ready for the best healthy meat sauce you’ll ever make and watch the whole family gobble it up!
Ingredients in this veggie-packed meat sauce
What I love about this healthy meat sauce recipe is that you can truly load it up with any vegetables you have in your fridge! It’s such a great go-to and an easy way to use pantry staples. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Veggies: I made my sauce with an onion, carrots, red bell pepper, and zucchini. Don’t forget to add fresh garlic, too.
- Meat: feel free to use any lean ground meat you’d like! I typically use 90% lean ground meat, and this will work with chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, and more.
- Herbs & spices: get extra flavor from paprika, coriander, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. I also love stirring in fresh basil.
- Tomato paste & sauce: because we’re making a red sauce, you’ll need both tomato paste and a can of crushed tomatoes.
- Broth: you can either use low-sodium chicken broth OR white wine as the liquid to cook the sauce. White wine adds a lovely acidity and depth of flavor.
- Maple syrup: I like to add a tiny bit of maple syrup to balance the acidity as well.
- For serving: get creative with any pasta you’d like — even gluten-free! I prefer long pasta shapes here like pappardelle, spaghetti, or bucatini. Top with fresh basil and a little grated parmesan, too, if you’d like.
Can I make it vegan?
Sure! If you want to make a hidden vegetable pasta sauce without any meat, you can simply :
- Add a couple extra veggies, omit the meat and follow the recipe as directed
- Use your favorite vegan ground meat substitute
- OR dice up some mushrooms and cook them in your pan with the vegetables
Jazz up your meat sauce
Feel free to add extra savory flavor by stirring parmesan cheese right into the sauce, or even adding a few tablespoons of basil pesto!
Easy veggie meat sauce in 3 steps
- Prep the veggies. Roughly chop all of your vegetables, then add them to the bowl of a food processor and pulse on high until it’s very well minced and mushy. No roasting required! This is how you can sneak the veggies in without kiddos noticing. You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your food processor.
- Cook the veggies & meat. Cook the veggie “mush” in a large skillet with olive oil and salt until it begins to caramelize and stop releasing its liquid. Push them to the edges of the pan, then add your ground meat and break it apart to cook it. Add all of those herbs and spices and cook through.
- Finish the sauce. Add your tomato paste and cook for about a minute, then add the white wine or broth, and finally stir in the crushed tomatoes, maple syrup, and basil. Simmer the sauce to let the flavors develop, then serve however you like!
How to serve this sauce with pasta
After cooking your pasta, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. You can then either add the meat sauce right into the pot with the pasta, adding a little pasta water at a time to loosen it up, or you can add your cooked pasta to serving bowls and top with the meat sauce. Garnish and enjoy! The later option is a great way to save extra meat sauce for later.
Our favorite ways to serve this hidden vegetable meat sauce
How to store & freeze this healthy meat sauce
- To store: allow meat sauce to cool, then place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To freeze: place cooled sauce in an airtight freezer-safe container, leaving room on top to allow for expansion, and then freeze for up to 6 months. You can also freeze in stasher bags. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
More sauce recipes you’ll love
Get all of my sauces & dressings here, and all of my pasta recipes here!
I hope you love this veggie-packed meat sauce! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Good Mood Comfort Food
The
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Veggie-Packed Meat Sauce (freezer-friendly, great for kids!)
This veggie-packed meat sauce, also known as ragu, is an ultra flavorful, easy recipe to keep in your back pocket (and freezer at all times!). Packed with protein from your favorite ground meat and loaded with FOUR different vegetables, this meat sauce boasts both delicious flavor and nutrition that everyone will gobble up! Great for babies, kiddos and adults and makes a wonderful postpartum meal too. A must-make!
Ingredients
- For the veggies:
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 3 medium carrots, roughly chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced
- 3 to 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- For the meat sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound 90% lean ground meat (can use chicken, beef, turkey, bison, lamb or even pork sausage! )
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ¼ cup white wine OR low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 to 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- Pasta and serving:
- 1 pound of pappardelle (or sub spaghetti or bucatini or another long pasta shape)
- Fresh basil leaves (julienned, if desired)
- Fresh grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
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Prepare the veggies: In the bowl of a large food processor, add the chopped onion, carrots, bell pepper, zucchini and garlic. Pulse on high for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the veggies down the sides of the food processor as necessary, until they are VERY finely minced and almost look like mush. (The goal is to have the VERY small so that they easily break down and so that we get the kids to eat this deliciousness!) If you do not have a large food processor (at least a 7-cup) you will need to do this in batches.
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Make the meat sauce: Place a deep large skillet or pot over medium-high heat and add in the olive oil. Once the oil is warm, add in the veggie mixture, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the veggies begin to caramelize, turn slightly golden and all of the liquid is absorbed and no longer releasing from the veggies. Push the veggies to the edges of the pan and then add the ground meat in the middle, breaking the meat apart with a meat masher or wooden spoon. Once meat is broken up, immediately add the ½ teaspoon kosher salt, a few grinds of black pepper, paprika, coriander, and oregano to the mixture, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the meat is no longer pink.
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Next, add in the tomato paste to the meat mixture and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute to allow the flavors to bloom, then add in the white wine or broth and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, pure maple syrup and fresh basil. Cover the pan and turn heat to low. Simmer the sauce for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the flavors to develop while you cook your pasta.
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Cook the pasta: Fill a large pot with water and add a generous amount of kosher salt (about 2 teaspoons). Bring water to a boil over high heat. Once water is boiling, cook pasta until al dente, according to directions on the package. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and set aside before draining, then drain pasta and place back in the pot.
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To serve: You have a few choices, you can either toss the meat sauce directly into the pasta along with a little pasta water (start with ½ cup and add more as necessary) to make it nice and creamy, or you can simply add the pasta to bowls and serve the meat sauce on top. Completely up to you. Garnish with freshly grated parm and some extra fresh basil.
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To store: Allow meat sauce to cool, then place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. To freeze: Place cooled sauce in an airtight freezer-safe container, leaving room on top to allow for expansion and then freeze for up to 6 months. You can also freeze in stasher bags. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Recipe Notes
See the full post for tips, tricks, and ways to customize your meat sauce!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (based on 6, sauce & pasta)Calories: 487calCarbohydrates: 75.5gProtein: 27.7gFat: 8.5gSaturated Fat: 1.4gFiber: 6.4gSugar: 14.4g
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats